Share

The student experience should always be our focus, rather than influences from colleagues, administration, parents, etc. As educators, we must guide our pupils toward a path of discovery that we know is best for their development. This track begins with a goal. Planning to participate in an examination is an essential aspiration—an objective that begins with a target that, to the student, may seem quite far away. The assessment is often a distant goal, many months or even a year or more in the future.

Students who commit to the examination curricula are thoroughly tested, even stretched. For example, in pledging to participate in a formal assessment, pupils promise to explore music of multiple musical eras. They will also work on contrasting studies, thereby developing their technique. Technical work will ensure they are putting those musical muscles though a regular and thoughtful workout. At the same time, the musicianship element of the exam will test topics such as aural awareness and comprehension, as well as sight-reading skills. In addition, corresponding theory and history exams will ensure that students have a sense of how music works and has developed. Finally, examinations reward students for memorization and encourage performance development.

While the components summarized above may seem overwhelming when considered all at once, through regular, incremental, disciplined work, the assessment’s objectives can be realized. The live assessment is the culmination of months of diligent practice and study. It is also a testament to the courage and confidence of participating students, who enter the examination room, often alone, to present themselves to a stranger assigned to evaluate their progress.

After the examination, the written critique and corresponding marks provided by the RCM offer encouragement and validation from someone other than the student’s parents or teacher. Those exam results tell the student that they are doing good work and let the student know in which areas they could do more. From preparation through receiving exam results, the RCM examination experience builds character and self-esteem, along with a deep understanding of, and proficiency in, music.

For teachers, preparing students for the exams may be a central part of their studio curriculum, and they are stakeholders in this process as well. Along with providing goals to motivate students and a guided, well-rounded curriculum, RCM exams also provide teachers with validation of their own teaching, through comments written by fellow teachers. Sometimes, these reports will reiterate the very things we have been saying to a student for months, or years. Other times, the examiner’s choice of words or perspective may illuminate an issue for student, or the examiner may address a topic we have not yet touched on in lessons. For teachers, the exams are a form of personal professional development. Simply put, the exams make us better teachers.

Parents are stakeholders in the examination process as well. The written assessment offers parents a hard-copy, third-party quality-assurance check of their child’s teacher, assuring them that we are doing a good job. Usually though, it’s about pride in their child’s accomplishment and success, and the joy of celebrating that success with them—from the smiling child who emerges from the examination room, to the “proof” in the paperwork that follows. Certificates are often displayed proudly.

The examinations help to prioritize musical study in the heavily scheduled, activity-packed lives of children. As the examination date approaches, it elevates what we do and what we have all been working toward to a high priority, regardless of where music lessons usually sit within a family’s scheduling hierarchy. It’s akin to the playoffs in hockey—a time to dig deeper, raise the intensity and commitment levels, and bring the “A game” to every practice session and lesson. Formal exams are a tangible measure of a child’s progress, much like a school assessment. As such, they assist us as we advocate for full support for our efforts, and for those of the child.

We all need goals to do our best work. Formal objectives, whether deadlines, assessments, or even personal-best benchmarks, are essential motivators for children and adults alike. The RCM’s assessment-based curriculum fosters heightened accountability from all parties involved, students, teachers, and parents.

Our role as music educators is greater than just laying the foundation for future certified arts educators and musicians. We know that only a small percentage of our private students make a career of music. But we are major figures in the lives of students. We are their mentors, often through their critical formative years. We are responsible for giving them the best possible tools to achieve and grow as people, all while we foster a lifelong love for the arts in them.